Udo Zimmermann
Encyclopedia
Udo Zimmermann was born in Dresden
on October 6, 1943. He is a German
composer
, music director
, and conductor
.
from 1954 to 1962. He then continued his music education at the Dresden Music School. He studied composition with Johannes Paul Thilman
, as well as conducting and singing
. He worked two years as assistant of music theater director, Walter Felsenstein
.
In 1970 he became the dramatic adviser of Dresden's State Opera
. In 1978 he was appointed as professor of composition at his alma mater, Dresdner Musikhochschule. In 1986, he founded the Dresden Center for Contemporary Music, which is a research center and organizer for concerts and festivals. From 1990 to 2001, Zimmermann was the artistic director
of the Leipzig Opera House
.
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
on October 6, 1943. He is a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, music director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
, and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Biography
Zimmermann was a member of the Dresdner KreuzchorDresdner Kreuzchor
The Dresdner Kreuzchor is the boys' choir of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden. It has a seven century history. Today the choir has about 150 members from the age of 9-19 from Dresden and the surrounding region. Most of the boys live in a boarding school. The Choir Boys are also called "Kruzianer". The...
from 1954 to 1962. He then continued his music education at the Dresden Music School. He studied composition with Johannes Paul Thilman
Johannes Paul Thilman
Johannes Paul Thilman was a German composer.- Life :Thilman, who actually wanted to become a teacher, encountered music at the age of 18 and taught himself initially. After a private lesson with Paul Hindemith and Hermann Scherchen, he attended the Leipzig Conservatory in 1929 and studied...
, as well as conducting and singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. He worked two years as assistant of music theater director, Walter Felsenstein
Walter Felsenstein
Walter Felsenstein was an Austrian theater and opera director.He was one of the most important exponents of textual accuracy, productions in which dramatic and musical values were exquisitely researched and balanced...
.
In 1970 he became the dramatic adviser of Dresden's State Opera
Semperoper
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and the concert hall of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden . It is located near the Elbe River in the historic center of Dresden, Germany.The opera house was originally built by the architect Gottfried Semper in 1841...
. In 1978 he was appointed as professor of composition at his alma mater, Dresdner Musikhochschule. In 1986, he founded the Dresden Center for Contemporary Music, which is a research center and organizer for concerts and festivals. From 1990 to 2001, Zimmermann was the artistic director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
of the Leipzig Opera House
Oper Leipzig
Oper Leipzig is an opera house and opera company in Leipzig, Germany.The Leipzig Opera traces its establishment to the year 1693, making it the third oldest opera venue in Europe after La Fenice and the Hamburg State Opera...
.
Operas
- Die Weiße Rose (White Rose) — June 17, 1967
- Die zweite Entscheidung — 1970
- Levins Mühle — March 27, 1973
- Der Schuhu und die fliegende Prinzessin — December 30, 1976
- Die wundersame Schusterfrau — April 25, 1982
- Weiße RoseWeiße Rose (opera)Weiße Rose The title of the opera is often shown as Die Weiße Rose; however, the publisher, Breitkopf & Härtel, shows both versions as .is a chamber opera in one act by composer Udo Zimmermann...
(revised version) — February 27, 1986 - Die Sündflut — 1988
Writings
- Man sieht, was man hört (One sees what one hears), Udo Zimmermann on music and theatre, edited by Frank Geißler, Leipzig 2003.
External links
- US premiere of Sinfonia come un grande lamento, in memory of F. Garcia Lorca (1977) by the American Symphony OrchestraAmerican Symphony OrchestraThe American Symphony Orchestra is a New York-based American orchestra founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski, then aged 80. Following Maestro Stokowski's departure, Kazuyoshi Akiyama was appointed Music Director of the American Symphony Orchestra from 1973-1978. Music Directors during the early...
on January 25, 2009